Open AccessSpontaneous ischaemic stroke lesions in a dog brain: neuropathological characterisation and comparison to human ischaemic stroke
Author(s) -
Barbara Blicher Thomsen,
Hanne Gredal,
Martin Wirenfeldt,
Bjarne Winther Kristensen,
Bettina Hjelm Clausen,
Anders Elm larsen,
Bente Finsen,
Mette Berendt,
Kate Lykke Lambertsen
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta veterinaria scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1751-0147
pISSN - 0044-605X
DOI - 10.1186/s13028-016-0275-7
Subject(s) - neuropathology , stroke (engine) , medicine , pathology , ischaemic stroke , histopathology , infarction , ischemia , myocardial infarction , disease , mechanical engineering , engineering
Background Dogs develop spontaneous ischaemic stroke with a clinical picture closely resembling human ischaemic stroke patients. Animal stroke models have been developed, but it has proved difficult to translate results obtained from such models into successful therapeutic strategies in human stroke patients. In order to face this apparent translational gap within stroke research, dogs with ischaemic stroke constitute an opportunity to study the neuropathology of ischaemic stroke in an animal species. Case presentation A 7 years and 8 months old female neutered Rottweiler dog suffered a middle cerebral artery infarct and was euthanized 3 days after onset of neurological signs. The brain was subjected to histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Neuropathological changes were characterised by a pan-necrotic infarct surrounded by peri-infarct injured neurons and reactive microglia/macrophages and astrocytes. Conclusions The neuropathological changes reported in the present study were similar to findings in human patients with ischaemic stroke. The dog with spontaneous ischaemic stroke is of interest as a complementary spontaneous animal model for further neuropathological studies.